William s



(No Model.)

W. S. BURGESS. $-LEIGH VELOGIPBDE.

No. 550,819 Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

UNTTE STATES BEIGE.

WILLIAM S. BURGESS, OF THREE RIVERS, CANADA.

SLEIGH-VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,819, dated December3, 1895. Application filed February 4, 1895; Serial No. 537,190. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, VILLIAM S. BURGESS, of Three Rivers, in the Provinceof Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sleigh-Velocipedes and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompa' nyin g drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention, which will be hereinafter fully set forth andclaimed,relates to velocipedes adapted to be propelledon snow or ice.

The object of my invention is a sleigh of the velocipede and moreparticularly of the bicycle type and propelled by pedals and gearopera-ting a driving-wheel.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved sleigh-velocipede. Fig. 2is aseparatc perspective view of the back runner seen from below.

My improved sleigh-velocipede consists, essentially, of a frame, thelower and extreme points of which are mounted on runners, the slantingfront leg being hinged to the rear portion and provided withsteering-handles, while the rear portion is provided with saddle, and ofdriving-gear consisting of a spiked wheel journaled inflexibly-connected arms and actuated by pedals, sprocket-wheels, andchain.

The main and rear portion of the frame consists of anapproximately-horizontal top bar A, a short downwardly and forwardlyslantin g front bar B, rigidly connected to the front end of the bar A,a bar 0, approximately parallel to the bar B and rigidly connected tothe rear end of the top bar, a double downwardlydiverging andrearwardly-sloping bar or bars D D, having their upper ends secured tothe joint of the top bar and bar 0, extending down to the rear runnerand adapted to straddle the driving-wheel, and a sloping bottom. bar E,connecting the lower ends of the front bar, intermediate bar C, and backbars D, its rear end being split and forked to meet the two ends of theback bars. A brace 1) extends from the joint of the top and front barsto about midway of the sloping bottom bar E, near to its connection withthe bar C. To the joint of the bars A, C, and D the saddle S is secured.To the front bar B is hinged by eyebolts f or other suitable connectionsthe front leg F, parallel to the front bar B, and to the upper end ofwhich is secured the steeringhandle F, while to its lower end is pivoteda runner G, so that it may play in a vertical plane and adapt itself tothe level and unevenness of the surface upon which it has to slide. Arunner G is also pivoted to the lower ends of the back bar I), alsoadapted to play in a vertical plane. This runner is made of sufficientwidth to admit of a wide longitudinalslot g in the center, in which therim of the driving-wheel may move freely. Forward of this slot the soleor face of the runner is of its full width, but at the rear the slot ismade continuous in the shape of a groove g, so that while the surfaceabove it is left solid the lower one is in two strips and from the frontend of the slot appears in the shape of a fork.

Two bars H, approximately horizontal when in their normal position, arepivoted at their forward ends to the bottom bar E side by side and oneon each side of said bar and about midway between the front bar 13 andthe intermediate bar G, passing clear outside of the latter and the rearbars D to a point about vertically above the pivot-point of the rearrunner G. These bars are united with connecting-blocks in several placesin their forward portion, such as h h h, thus making it practically onesolid forked piece, which is adapted to swing freely on its pivotalconnection with the bottom bar E. Said bar H has its movement limited,however, by a spring ll, secured to the rear connecting-block h and to aconnecting-block c in the bottom bar, through which latter the shank ofthe spring passes and is secured below by a nut h" for adjustment,drawing the said bar downward. A short rod H is also pivoted in the forkat the rear of and close to the intermediate bar 0 and is guided in apair of staples or eyes h, secured to the latter. As the forked bar I-Imoves up and down, the rod H, bearing in the eyes h, moves up and downin the latter.

In the fork of the bar II and to the rear end of the same is journaledthe spiked drivingwheel I. It may be of any desired construction, buthaving spikes 2' on its rim.

lower part of said wheel passes in the slot g of the runner G and bearsupon the ground. Above the upper part extends a segmental The guard I,secured to the intermediate bar 0 and passing between and being securedto the bars D and protecting the rider from the spikes of the wheel. Inthe bar II, forward of the bar 0, is also journaled the crank-axle J,with outside cranks j and pedals j Said axle has secured upon it thesprocket-wheel K outside of the bars II. The hub of the driving-wheel Ihas secured to it the sprocketpinion K, and the two sprocketwheels K andK are connected by an endless chain K, passing from inside of the widerear end of the fork ll to the outside of the narrower front end, wherethe sprocket-wheel K is situated, and is thus parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the frame.

It will be noted that the weight of the rider is nearly vertical abovethe drivin g-wheel and that the center of the latter is vertically abovethe pivot of the back runner; also, that the bar or arms supporting thedriving-wheel have an elastic supporting connection with the frame andthat this connection is adjust able. This is effected by the spring II.Should it be desired that the drivingvheel press harder on the roadway,the thu1nbscrew 77/ is tightened. If less pressure be wanted, the springis slackened. In like manner the wheel will readily yield upwardlyagainst the pressure of the spring, should it meet with any obstructionnot encountered by the rear runner, independently of the frame A B C DE.

To promote smoothness of travel, the back runner is grooved at the rear,so that any unevenness made by the spikes of the driving-.

wheel remain untouched by the runner.

I claim as my invention 1. In a sleigh-velocipede, the combination of aframe having downwardly, utwardl y and rearwardly sloping double backbars, a downwardly and forwardly sloping intermediate bar and arearwardly and downwardly sloping bottom bar forked to meet the doubleends of the back bars,transversely con nected horizontal bars or armspivoted to said bottom bar and projecting rearwardly, a spiked drivingwheel journaled in the rear end of said arms, a rod parallel to theintermediate bar secured to said arms and staples or eyes on saidintermediate bar in which said rod is adapted to bear, substantially asset forth.

2. In a runner of a sleigh-velocipede, the combination with a bar withupturned front end having a broad running face, a wide groove leavingonly a narrow margin at each side and extending from the rear end towithin some distance of the point at which the front is turned up and aslot in the forward part of said groove adapted to admit the rim of awheel and bearings at the upper edge adapted for pivotal connection tothe double ends of a frame or legs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony'whereof I have signed'in the presence of the undersignedwitnesses.

7M. S. BURGESS.

Vitnesses A. TROWSSE, B. HARVEY.

